Osteospermum plant named ‘Sumipas 03’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Osteospermum  plant named ‘Sumipas 03’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading, compact and mounded plant habit; freely branching habit; freely, early and continuous flowering habit; and inflorescences with purple-colored ray florets.

Botanical designation: Osteospermum ecklonis.

Botanical denomination: ‘Sumipas 03’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Sumipas 03’.

The new Osteospermum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Lüdinghausen, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to create new compact and early flowering Osteospermum cultivars with large and attractive inflorescences.

The new Osteospermum originated from a cross-pollination in April, 2001 of a proprietary Osteospermum ecklonis selection identified as code number 24, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Sumpink, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Osteospermum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Lüdinghausen, Germany in April, 2002.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by terminal vegetative cuttings was first conducted in Lüdinghausen, Germany in May, 2002. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Sumipas 03 has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Sumipas 03’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Sumipas 03’ as a new and distinct Osteospermum:

-   -   1. Upright, outwardly spreading, compact and mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit.     -   3. Freely, early and continuous flowering habit.     -   4. Inflorescences with purple-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in flowering time as plants of the new Osteospermum flower about 10 days earlier than plants of the female parent selection. Plants of the new Osteospermum differ primarily from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Sumpink in plant size as plants of the new Osteospermum are more compact than plants of the cultivar Sumpink.

Plants of the new Osteospermum can be compared to plants of the cultivar Osoutis, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,491. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Osteospermum differed from plants of the cultivar Osoutis in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Osteospermum were larger than plants of the         cultivar Osoutis.     -   2. Plants of the new Osteospermum had thicker stems than plants         of the cultivar Osoutis.     -   3. Plants of the new Osteospermum had larger inflorescences than         plants of the cultivar Osoutis.     -   4. Plants of the new Osteospermum and the cultivar Osoutis         differed in ray floret coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying colored photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Osteospermum showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Osteospermum. The photograph comprises a top perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Sumipas 03’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new Osteospermum has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The aforementioned photograph, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Lüdinghausen, Germany in an outdoor nursery during the spring and summer and under commercial production practices. Plants were about three months from planting rooted young plants when the photograph and description were taken. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 8° C. to 14° C. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar Sumipas 03. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of             Osteospermum ecklonis identified as code number 24, not             patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Osteospermum ecklonis cultivar             Sumpink, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate rooting, summer.—About 14 days at 16° C.         -   Time to initiate rooting, winter.—About 18 days at 16° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 30 days             at 16° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 32 days             at 16° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; color, 162C.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form and growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous container             and garden plant. Upright, somewhat outwardly spreading,             compact and mounded plant habit; broad inverted triangle.             Freely branching habit, about 18 primary lateral branches             and numerous secondary lateral branches.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.         -   Plant width or area of spread.—About 20 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 16 cm. Diameter: About 5 mm.             Internode length: About 8 cm to 10 cm. Aspect: Upright and             outwardly spreading. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: 145B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate; simple. Length:             About 4 cm to 5.5 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm to 3.5 cm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Emarginate. Base: Acute to truncate.             Margin: Slightly serrate. Venation pattern: Pinnate.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 137A. Fully             expanded foliage, upper surface: 146A; venation, 146B. Fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: 146B; venation, 146B.             Petiole: Length: About 1 cm to 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm             to 3 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Glabrous,             smooth. Color, upper and lower surfaces: 146D. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Solitary terminal and axillary inflorescences             held above and beyond the foliage on strong peduncles.             Composite inflorescence form, radially symmetrical, with             elliptic to ligulate-shaped ray florets and disc florets             massed at the center; ray and disc florets develop             acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences not persistent.             Inflorescences face mostly upright to outwardly.         -   Flowering response.—Plants flower continuous and freely from             the early spring through the fall in Germany. Early             flowering habit; plants grown in containers begin flowering             about six to eight weeks after pinching.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about four to six days on the plant.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering; at one time,             about eight to twelve open inflorescences and inflorescence             buds per lateral stem.         -   Fragrance.—Faint.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Length: About 1 cm to 1.5 cm. Diameter:             About 7 mm to 10 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 145C.             Inflorescence size: Diameter: About 5.5 cm to 6 cm. Depth             (height): About 5 cm. Disc diameter: About 2 cm. Ray             florets: Length: About 2.5 cm to 2.8 cm. Width: About 5 mm             to 6 mm. Shape: Elliptic to ligulate. Apex: Obtuse. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number of ray florets per             inflorescence: About 16 to 18 in a single whorl. Color: When             opening, upper surface: 77A. When opening, lower surface:             Close to N79A. Fully opened, upper surface: 77A to 77B;             color becoming closer to 79C with development. Fully opened,             lower surface: N79C to N79D.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed.             Length: About 1 cm. Width: At apex: About 5 mm. At base:             About 1 mm. Number of disc florets per inflorescence:             About 60. Color: 79A.         -   Phyllaries.—Length: About 1.5 mm to 2 mm. Diameter: About             1 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous. Number per inflorescence: About 16 to 20. Color,             upper and lower surfaces: 137C.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 8 cm to 10 cm. Diameter: About             1 mm. Angle: Terminal peduncles, mostly upright; axillary             peduncles about 35° to 45° from stem axis. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Stamen number: Five per floret; fused around style.             Anther shape: Oblong. Anther length: Less than 0.5 mm.             Anther color: 25B. Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: 25B.             Gynoecium: Present on both ray and disc florets. Pistil             number: One per floret. Pistil length: About 4 mm. Stigma             shape: Two-parted. Stigma color: N89D. Style length: About             1 mm. Style color: 144C. Ovary color: 144C.         -   Seeds.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Color:             200D. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Osteospermums has not been observed on plants grown under commercial     greenhouse or outdoor conditions. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have been     observed to tolerate temperatures from 0° C. to 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant named ‘Sumipas 03’, as illustrated and described. 